Proverbs 29:23
Humility enables us to submit to what is above us, and nothing is higher above us than God. By making us submit to God, humility lifts us up. But pride, a defect of nature, is refusing to submit to and opposing the Supreme One. As a result, pride falls to a low state. It is written, "Thou castedst them down when they lifted up themselves." The writer doesn't say, "when they had been lifted up," as if first they were raised up and then thrown down. But "when they lifted up them-selves," they were thrown down—that is, the very lifting up was already a fall.
Therefore, humility is especially valuable to the city of God. It is exhibited in the city of God and in the person of Christ its King. On the other hand, the Scriptures say that the wickedness of pride rules over Christ's enemy, the devil. Certainly this is the difference between the cities of godly people and of ungodly people one guided and formed by the love of self, the other by love of God.
—Augustine of Hippo
Readings taken from Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers
Humility enables us to submit to what is above us, and nothing is higher above us than God. By making us submit to God, humility lifts us up. But pride, a defect of nature, is refusing to submit to and opposing the Supreme One. As a result, pride falls to a low state. It is written, "Thou castedst them down when they lifted up themselves." The writer doesn't say, "when they had been lifted up," as if first they were raised up and then thrown down. But "when they lifted up them-selves," they were thrown down—that is, the very lifting up was already a fall.
Therefore, humility is especially valuable to the city of God. It is exhibited in the city of God and in the person of Christ its King. On the other hand, the Scriptures say that the wickedness of pride rules over Christ's enemy, the devil. Certainly this is the difference between the cities of godly people and of ungodly people one guided and formed by the love of self, the other by love of God.
—Augustine of Hippo
Readings taken from Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers
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